European Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou visits EFSA

European Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou will arrive in Parma on Friday for a visit to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This is the second time that Commissioner Vassiliou visits EFSA since her appointment as EU Commissioner for Health in April 2008.

She will be greeted by EFSA Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle and by Bart Sangster, Vice-Chair of EFSA’s Management Board before attending several sessions aimed at discussing EFSA‘s recent activities in the areas of animal cloning, nanotechnology, GMOs and nutrition. She will also attend a session on EFSA’s current and future activities in the area of data collection and exposure assessment and how these impact on the quality of risk assessments. The Chair of EFSA ‘s Scientific Committee, Professor Vittorio Silano, the Chair of the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, Dr Albert Flynn, and George Gaskell, a member of EFSA ‘s advisory group on risk communications will also take part in the meeting.

The Commissioner will be addressing EFSA ‘s staff at noon before visiting the Scuola per l’Europa in the afternoon.

On the following day, Commissioner Vassiliou will attend the laying of the first foundation stone of EFSA’s new building with EFSA’s Executive Director.